#BoxOffice Report: Machines, Strippers Fall, 'Inside' Outperforms

Post-apocalyptic machines and strippers lose out in July 4th Weekend bust.

Story by Matt Cummings

Early numbers are coming in from this week's domestic box office, and it doesn't look good for two movies with high expectations from their studios. It appears that Pixar's Inside Out will finally take the number 1 slot from three-peater Jurassic World, leaving Terminator Genisys and Magic Mike XXL in the dust. With hgh praise from critics and even talk of whether it deserves an Oscar nod for Best Picture, the movie about a little girl's emotions will take in an estimated $30 million over the three-day weekend. It's already made over $225m and on Friday seemed ready to exert its influence over Mike and Terminator.

Coming in at a close number 2 is Jurassic World, which should take in $28-29m. Considering its staying power, there's no reason why a last-minute surge could see the two slip-flop, attesting to the popularity of both. That leaves Terminator Genisys in a tough spot, forced to feed on the carcasses with Magic Mike XXL. the post-apocalyptic action sequel getting the better of it, making a paltry $26m over the three-day and around $46m for its early start on Tuesday. That's not great numbers considering the film's $155m budget and all of the controversy surrounding its production and disastrous marketing campaign. Audiences have apparently responded, giving it a B+ on Cinemascore.

Coming in at number 4 will be Magic Mike XXL, earning just $30m. That's off from the original's surprising $39.1 opening, although it beat Terminator in early screenings only to fall fast after the initial buzz wore off. It has less to worry about than Terminator, as it only cost $14m to make. It also fare better on Cinemascore, earning a surprising 'A.' We didn't agree with that, but we'll see if it earns that grade as it heads into its second week.

Unfortunately, audiences have nearly forgotten about Ted 2, the raunchy teddy bear comedy which slid to number 5. Its 67% decline - predicted to take just $11m over the weekend - represents no less than a disappointment, even though we liked it a lot. Apparently, the Seth McFarlane comedy didn't resonate with moviegoers, also earning a 'B+' in Cinemascore. Its 8-day total is rough 50% lower than that of the original.

One other quick note: we could also be looking at a thin year for the top 12 overall during the weekend. Here are the numbers from the past four years:
2014: $120m
2013: $221m
2012: $182m
2011: $228m
If these numbers dip below 2014's ebb, it certainly proves that domestic audiences are fickle during this weekend, as hot dog, fireworks, and pool parties draw them away from perceived sub-par box office experiences.

Terminator Genisys will have to pick up the pace overseas, where Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has always dominated. Mike and Ted 2 have their work cut out for them, as next week's Minions looks poised to debut at number 1. But even with strong overseas for Terminator, one or even two of these three domestically will get bumped out, and we could even see the horror film The Gallows do some early damage before Marvel's Ant-Man arrives in two weeks. Either way, we're poised to see someone to be shown the door as the Summer Mesosauraus feeds on yet another hapless victim.

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